Why Paul Anka Hated Elvis Presley’s Cover of “My Way”

One of the most popular songs of all time is Frank Sinatra‘s “My Way”. For decades, people across generations have enjoyed this Sinatra classic thanks to the motivating message and epically melodic vocals. However, the story behind the song isn’t that simple, as it didn’t just belong to Frank Sinatra. Rather, it also partially belonged to the king himself, Elvis Presley.

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It is fairly common knowledge that Frank Sinatra did not write this song. Instead, the original writer of the generational hit was the acclaimed singer/songwriter, Paul Anka. As a matter of fact, Anka wrote the song with Sinatra in mind, given that he was retiring from his prolific career. However, after Anka wrote it and Sinatra sang it, Elvis Presley started covering it years later. And Anka absolutely detested Presley’s cover of it for one prime reason.

It Was All Thanks to Presley’s “Pathetic State”

When Anka finished writing “My Way”, Presley had seen the lyrics and told him, “Those words, they mean so much to me. Boy, I want to do that song one day,” per My Way: An Autobiography. Despite the affinity Elvis had for the lyrics, Anka was still incredibly reluctant to see him cover the song. Anka told Elvis that “it’s not really your kind of song.”

Elvis Presley ignored Anka and started covering the song by the 70s, and at that point, Elvis was tragically at the end of his rope, addicted to substances, and generally just a former shell of himself. That is the ultimate reason as to why Anka didn’t like it when Elvis Presley covered the single.

“In the end, that song and those words had resonance for him, but not in the way I intended,” Anka wrote in his book. “Given Elvis’ pathetic state at the end, it was in the opposite sense that the words had for Sinatra. There was nothing defiant or heroic about Elvis at that point.”

Anka’s reason is incredibly harsh. Though, from an artistic perspective, it makes sense. “My Way” was not a song written for a man slowly spiraling towards the end; it was a song written about a man who was going out on top. Though funny enough, Elvis Presley’s version of the song actually charted higher than Sinatra’s, as his 1977 cover peaked at no. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100, and Sinatra’s at no. 27.

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